In, Again and Again
by sleepy-geeky
Summary: Merry and Pippin partake in a bit of mischief at Cousin Bilbo’s grand party. [Humor, Book, Fellowship of the Ring, Merry and Pippin]


In, Again and Again

By: ChaosTheory89

Notes: Feel free to correct me on dates; I am still a bit unsteady on Middle Earth's calendar. – (added 2/2/04)… omigosh… I wrote "November" instead of "September" for B. and F.'s birthday… feel …so … stupid … Also fixed Brandy Hall… thank you for being so kind, Shirebound… 

Length: 1,343 Words 

Thanks: Encyclopedia of Arda, for references on the Shire Reckoning as well as the ages of Merry and Pippin.

Spoilers: None

Rating: -G- (for insane cuteness)

Canon: Book (for Mer and Pip are much older in the movie, and they have the Fireworks incident.)

Summery: Merry and Pippin partake in a bit of mischief at Cousin Bilbo's grand party. [Humor, Book, Fellowship of the Ring, Merry and Pippin]

Characters: Merry and Pippin

Dedication: shirebound, one of the best all-around authors on fanfiction.net 

  
*** 

_"He gave presents away to all and sundry – the latter were those who went out again by a back way and came in again by the gate." _– Book I, pg. 48 

**22 of September, III 3001 (1411 SR) **

There were more people than young Pippin had ever seen, and, as a Took who spent much time at Brandy Hall, that meant a lot. 

It was Cousin Bilbo and Cousin Frodo's birthday; dozens and dozens – 'Grosses,' Pippin thought with a giggle – gathered around, waiting to be allowed admittance. Holding tightly to his tiny hand was Merry, his slightly less tiny cousin. They couldn't wait to come to their favorite cousins party. Actually, the pair's motives were less than pure – the presents to come from this party, Frodo assured them, promised to be especially grand.

"Mer?" Pippin asked in a whisper, pressing closer to his cousin. Merry took this as a sign of tiredness, and grabbed his cousin into his arms. "Yes, Pip?" The tiny eleven-year-old looked at him through large eyes.

"Mer, do you think that… that there might be…" Pippin leaned closer to Merry's ear. "Do you think that there shall be big people, like are sometimes visitin' Bilbo?" 

Merry laughed at his cousin, who knitted his brows. "'S not funny, Mer. I'm serious. Big Folk… can you imagine?" 

"Well, Pip, there might be Gandalf… With his fireworks…" Mer left the sentence hanging, with Pippin taking in a large breath. Rumors among the big kids in Tookland was one thing – coming straight from Mer's mouth was another.

"Truly, Mer?" Pippin craned his neck around an adult for a better view of the gate.

"Look, Pip," Merry pointed to the wondrously tall man with a delightfully pointed blue hat.

"It's a Big Folk." Merry said, loosing some of his tween-age dignity in his amazement.

"A real big folk, like in Bilbo's tales." Pippin confirmed solemnly.

"Yes, Pip," Merry responded. Fatty leaned in over the two smaller hobbits. "'At's a right big person, all right," He confirmed. 

"Wonder if he made the presents."

"Oh, Mer, do you think that … the presents might me…" Pippin paused, his face flushed, looking conspiratorially over at Gandalf. "The presents might be magic?" He rushed his words together at the end as they approached Gandalf and Bilbo, who were handing out presents out of piles and piles.

"Well, you never know with that upstart, Gandalf," Fatty said ominously. Pippin looked at Merry, fearfully. "Will he turn us to toads?" 

"No, Pip, of course not." 

"Are you sure, Mer? I don't wanna be a toad. They're awful slimey." 

"Yeah, Pip, I'm sure." 

"Good. 'Cause I want some magic toys." Merry smiled.

"Toads, you say? No, my dear hobbit lads, I specialize in toad_stools_." Gandalf informed them drolly. Pippin positively hiccupped in fear.

"Toadstools?" He whispered to Merry, as they accepted oddly shaped bundles labeled "Merry" and "Pippin". 

"Oh, really, Pip. He's just joking," Merry said, sounding not at all sure of himself.

"Is he, Mer?" Fatty asked, unwrapping his own present. It was a top, an altogether unremarkable top, though it pleased him very much and he showed it off for weeks; Bilbo knew that Fatty enjoyed simple things.

"Open yours, Mer."  Pippin poked his younger cousin.

"Alright, Pip." Merry eased Pippin off his hip and then plopped into the grass himself, getting the string off the package delicately. "Hurry up, Mer, hurry up," Pippin whined. Marry removed the brown wrapping to reveal a perfectly carved boat, with a mermaid carved at the bow, and perfect cloth sails that smelled of the sea. "Oh, Pip, it is magic," Merry breathed, gently rocking it back and forth, watching the wind catch the sails. He imagined that he could hear the elves sing, like in Bilbo's tales.

"Oh, Mer," Pippin said, stroking it with his tiny, grubby hands. Merry, abruptly called back to his cousin, turned quickly.

"You open yours now, Pip." He instructed. Pippin grinned widely, slicing the twine with the pocketknife Bilbo had given on his one hundred and tenth birthday, and ripping the wrappings off with gusto.

"Oh, look, Merry, it's _Sting_!" Pippin brandished a smaller version of Bilbo's sword, Sting, which he secretly coveted. It was carved with Elvish runes, and the 'blade' was made of a wood that appeared almost blue… it was wonderful.

"Pip! That's wonderful!" Merry shouted, twirling his cousin in the air. "Look, Mer, I'm a knight!" They ran around, playing with their new toys, Merry already plotting on setting his sail in the Brandywine River.

"Oh!" Pippin said, stopping suddenly. Merry stopped with him. "What is it, Pip?" 

"Mer, I have to pee!" He whispered, looking embarrassed. Merry rolled his eyes, taking his cousin by the hand and dodging through many  people to a side-exit of the field, into an unused corner of Bagshot Row, where Pippin could relieve himself. While the young hobbit did so, the tween watched the main gate of the field. He recognized several of his mates, including Fatty, reentering to receive more presents – and quickly caught onto the scheme. After all, cousin Bilbo had wine with elevenses and lunch – surely he must be a bit tipsy by now, and couldn't possibly remember if two young cousins had been through with the whole shire tramping on his side yard…

"Pip, are you almost done?" 

"Yeah, Merry. I'm hungry." 

"You just had lunch!"

"Then it must be time for Tea!" Even for a growing hobbit, Pippin ate an unnatural lot. Merry grinned.

"We can have tea as soon as we go through and see cousin Bilbo, again." 

"See him again? Haven't we already wished him a happy birthday?" Pippin poked his head around the tree, coming out and allowing his cousin to fix his fancy clothes.

"Well, yes; but he's such a very old man, I'm afraid he won't remember." 

"Oh. Well, then, we must remind him that we've already come through, so he won't think badly of us." 

"No, Pip, we mustn't remind him. He'll feel awfully bad – you know how it is when hobbits get on…" 

"Of course, Mer. If you say so." 

The two raced across the lawn, to the gate. Merry and Pippin noted that Fatty went through again. 

"Hullo, Fats. Going to tell Cousin Bilbo another happy birthday?" 

"Oh, yes. I'll tell him as many Happy Birthdays as he is old!" Fatty replied happily. The two tweenagers exchanged a wicked grin over Pippin's head.

"What a good idea." 

"We shall do that, too, shan't we, Mer?" Pippin asked, pulling on Merry's sleeve.

"Yes, Pip, we shall. We wouldn't want cousin Bilbo to forget we love him, on his birthday." 

And so, the second time around, they received tiny wooden flutes, of Elven-make. 

"Wonderful, Pip!"

"Yes, but do you suppose Cousin Bilbo has forgotten already?" Pippin asked, feigning innocence.

"I thought you wanted Tea, Pip," Merry teased. Pippin grinned. "Oh, but we mustn't put ourselves first on cousin Bilbo's birthday…"

"Don't forget Cousin Frodo." They both jumped when their older cousin, Frodo Baggins, whispered in their ear.

"Oh, dear, Frodo, don't scare us that way!" Pippin squeaked, being again attacked by an awful case of hiccups.

"Sorry, Pip," Frodo ruffled his youngest cousin's hair.

"Happy Birthday, Frodo! I can't believe you're a grown up, now," Merry congratulate. Frodo smiled half-heartedly.

"Yes, a grown up…"  

"And you know what that means?" 

"What, Mer?" Pippin asked, curiously.

"That it is also Bilbo's birthday. We must have missed him at the gate."

"Oh, you must have?" Frodo asked teasingly. He knew the game well – actually, he had taught it to Merry at Brandybuck Hall.

"Yes, we must." Merry took Pippin out the back way again, heading around and greeting Bilbo heartily as they received yet another gift – a dwarvish hammer, quite suited for young hobbits looking to build a birdhouse.

However, when the pair passed by Gandalf, they stopped a moment. He leaned over, whispering something in their ear.

And, when Pippin became Thaine, and Merry master of Buckland, they would always remember when Gandalf softly reminded them: "Toadstools." 


End file.
